WILLIAM BRANGHAM: An apparent military takeover has occurred to the African nation of Niger.
The U.S. denounced the coup, and has long counted Niger as a partner in the fight against insurgents there and across the region, also known as the Sahel.
Stephanie Sy has the latest.
STEPHANIE SY: While the democratically elected president of Niger remains captive in the presidential palace, his supporters were out in force.
MUHAMMAD SIDI, Demonstrator: We are going to just show all these military people that they just -- just take shortcut and take the power like this.
No, we are a democratic country.
We support democracy.
And we don't need this kind of movement.
STEPHANIE SY: But supporters of the military coup were also out, setting cars ablaze, and burning and looting the ruling party's headquarters.
MOUNKEILA MOUSSA, Demonstrator (through translator): Today, we believe that the army by taking power will create the conditions for the army to regain its former values.
STEPHANIE SY: A group of soldiers appeared on national television yesterday announcing the power grab and the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum.
AMADOU ABDRAMANE, Niger Army (through translator): We, the defense and security forces, have decided to put an end the regime you know.
This follows a continuing deterioration of the security situation and poor economic and social governance.
STEPHANIE SY: The soldiers announcing the coup said they had dissolved the Constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation's borders.
On social media earlier today, President Bazoum vowed that the nation's hard-won gains would be safeguarded.
The army is supporting the coup plotters in its ranks, it says, to avoid a deadly confrontation that could lead to bloodshed and jeopardize the security of the population.
Niger has a long history of military coups, but in recent years the country has grown more stable.
The coup is the seventh in West and Central Africa since 2020.
For more on the latest developments in Niger, we are joined by Kamissa Camara.
She previously served as the Malian minister of foreign affairs and is now senior adviser for Africa in the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Thank you so much for joining the "NewsHour."
I want to jump right in.
What are your sources saying?
And how are they describing what is going on in Niger right now?
KAMISSA CAMARA, U.S. Institute of Peace: Well, there has been a definite development from yesterday, where we still thought that President Mohamed Bazoum could be kept in power.
There were still parts of the military who were still loyal to him, and the ones who wanted to conduct the coup were isolated.
In the early hours of the day today, the head of the army joined the putschists and an announcement, a public announcement was made confirming that President Mohamed Bazoum had been removed from power, that borders were closed, and that the Constitution was suspended.
So I think it is a successful coup, unfortunately, and this is the fix that Niger has known since the 1960s.
STEPHANIE SY: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for the coup leaders to release President Bazoum.
He was also notably careful not to call it a coup.
As you know, the U.S. and France both have security partnerships with Niger's government to try and contain terrorist groups there.
How does this change things?
KAMISSA CAMARA: Well, it doesn't -- it doesn't change much.
It just prevents the U.S. from cutting all assistance to Niger.
If the United States were to call the Niger event a military coup, then, automatically, all assistance would be -- would be stopped.
And I think it's also -- it also shows that Niger is still, as of today, an important security partner, that the United States might want to keep a door open to conduct business with the Nigerien authorities, and to see if actually President Bazoum could maybe be reinstated.
I think some and probably less people today, less observers today, believe that President Bazoum can be reinstated.
But the regional body, ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, has been deeply involved in the Niger situation since yesterday.
And the president of Nigeria, who is a neighbor of Niger, has been quite involved in negotiating with the mutineers to potentially release President Bazoum and reinstate him.
STEPHANIE SY: What are the coup leaders demand?
And do you see there being possible negotiations moving forward that would put President Bazoum back in office?
KAMISSA CAMARA: In their initial declarations, the coup leaders did say that they took over, and, in an attempt to bring back security in the country, they used issues of good governance as an excuse has, as has many other military coup leaders had done in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali.
So this is not new language.
It's -- we call it borrowed language from coup leaders in the neighborhood.
But I honestly do not believe that there's any possibility for President Bazoum to come back to power.
This is a done deal.
STEPHANIE SY: Do you have a sense of how much support there is for the coup versus for President Bazoum and for democracy there in Niger?
KAMISSA CAMARA: In the -- yesterday, when we heard that President Bazoum was -- quote, unquote -- "kidnapped" by mutineers, Nigeriens mobilized in Niamey to show support for President Bazoum, saying that they were not in favor of a military coup.
President Bazoum was democratically elected only two years ago in Niger, so it's safe to say that a majority of Nigeriens still supported him.
He has worked with partners in the region.
He has brought Niger back on the map.
He's worked very closely with the United States, with friends.
He attended the U.S.-Africa Summit last December.
And he really showcased Niger and presented Niger as a country that was ready for more investments and that was on the track for progress and development.
So it's a -- I think that there is a general disappointment that this progress was -- that an end was put to that progress.
STEPHANIE SY: Kamissa Camara with the U.S. Institute of Peace, thanks so much for joining the "NewsHour" with your analysis.
KAMISSA CAMARA: Thank you.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sa7SZ6arn1%2BrtqWxzmiaqK2gYravec2inp6qXWaDenyTcW1qa2Jk